"Well now…what has my daughter brought back home with her..?" Turak'Kahn said as his eyes went from me to Jane. The intense gaze that he was holding softened instantly, and he smiled. "Welcome home, Bug."
"Happy to be back dad…" Jane replied, blushing slightly.
"Bug…?" I muttered to myself. Turak'Kahn looked to me again, and his expression hardened.
"So you're Chase Kingston…" He said.
[Boss! Behind you!] Bone-lasher warned me as he shared his vision with me. A man was quickly walking towards me from my left with a dagger in his hand. Judging from the fact that Iris and Rowad weren't reacting to this told me that he was invisible.
"Excuse me for one second, your Pharoahness." I said, holding a finger up and then turning to look at the approaching stranger. "Can I help you?"
The man froze, a look of utter shock appeared on his face, but that quickly disappeared, and a smile replaced it. He shimmered back into visibly and stowed the dagger he had drawn and then looked over to Turak'Kahn.
"Very perceptive, your majesty." He said.
"FATHER!" Iris exclaimed. The man looked back to Iris and gave her a curt nod with just a hint of a smile before walking over to Turak'Kahn's side.
"Wow…I'm really glad I didn't go with my first instinct and incinerate him now…" I said. Iris turned to me and glared. "What? I said I'm glad I didn't!"
"You honestly think you could boy?" Iris' dad asked cockily with a slight sneer.
I channeled burn attribute mana into my hand and held it up. Flames engulfed my hand for several moments before I stopped channeling mana and extinguished the flame with a shake of my hand.
"You wouldn't have even had a moment to react." I said. Iris dad arched a brow, then nodded.
"I see. You can use elemental attacks without casting a spell. Had you attacked me without warning, it would have been difficult to dodge…but it would not be impossible." He said. I arched a brow up at him, then looked back to Iris.
"I like your dad." I said. Her Dad chuckled and did a slight bow.
"Jurirai Philari, a pleasure." He said. The Pharaoh arched a brow at his words, then cleared his throat.
"Well, I've been hearing reports about a talented young splicer in possession of the rare star shaped farm crystal. In my daughter's letters, she's told me much of you, your cunning, your bravery, your selflessness, and your audacity." Turak'Kahn said. The way he spoke struck me as odd. His tone was low, and his words seemed carefully selected.
"Well, your Pharoahness, you have me at a disadvantage. I've heard nothing about you despite having spent practically every day at college with your daughter." I said. That earned a growl from Rowad.
"Do not speak to the Pharaoh unless spoken too!" He snarled. I looked over my shoulder at him and frowned.
"Calm down, your jealousy is showing. Besides the Pharaoh was speaking to me." I said. That earned another growl from Rowad.
"Captain! My guest was correct. Keep your emotions in check, or I will have you removed." Turak'Kahn warned, his voice deep and thundering. It echoed throughout the throne room with the punch of an explosion. Rowad froze at his rulers words, then immediately bowed his head.
"My apologies, your majesty…" He muttered. Turak'Kahn didn't address him further and instead looked back to me.
"I have been told many great and wonderful things about you, Chase Kingston. Many I am having difficulty believing myself. I am told that you can read the Runic language, that you create enchanted items from spells you create yourself, that you have evos on par with national grade treasures." Turak'Kahn said.
"All true." I said, then glanced at Jane. She had a perplexed look on her face as did Iris beside her.
"A test then…." The Pharaoh rose from his throne and snapped his fingers.
The whole room started to shake and as I got the sudden feeling like it was moving, I looked behind us and saw that the wooden door that we had came through had been blocked off from a stone slab that descended like a bulkhead. There was a loud boom moments later, and the shaking stopped.
"Father, what is the meaning of this?" Jane asked. The Pharaoh smiled and descended down the three stairs that led to the throne and walked over to his daughter.
"I'm seeing for myself if this young man is as good as you claim him to be, my little Bug." He said, reaching up and gently brushing a hair out of her face. "A good ruler doesn't just take the words of others at face value. If possible, he seems for himself the worth of others."
Jane blushed slightly at being called Bug again, and I could already think of a few dozen ways to torment her about that later. The Pharaoh then walked around Jane and us, moving towards the door. It was then I noticed that the slab that blocked the doorway was gone, and it no longer led into the hallway.
"Follow me." The Pharaoh ordered. Everyone did as he was instructed and followed him into this new area.
My eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets when I realized that the new area was some sort of underground arena of sorts. Similar in style to the coliseum at the college, the major difference was that it was a little smaller and had Egyptian architecture instead. I looked to Jane and Iris, and they both looked just as surprised as I did.
"What is this place?" Jane asked.
"A training ground your highness. Prospective guards for the palace are brought here to train and see if they are worthy of service to the Pharaoh." Jurirai explained.
"And where I will see if you are as good as my daughter says." Turak'Kahn spoke up.
Both the Pharaoh and Jurirai stood at the far side of the coliseum. I suddenly became very aware of the fact that Rowad was creeping closer to me from out of my blind spot as well as the nineteen guards that were hidden in the shadows of the coliseum. I could see them thanks to Bone-lasher.
"So what? You want me to knock out the twenty guards you have hidden all over the arena?" I asked. The Pharaoh's eyebrow arched slightly, and then he smirked.
"So you noticed the others. Impressive….but no. Your challenge is to touch me without getting beaten by my guards." Turak'Kahn said.
No sooner had the words left his mouth did Rowad rush me. I was already expecting it and had channeled gust attribute mana into my left hand. Without even looking at him, I snapped my fingers and sent a gale of wind slamming into him and knocking him back through the doorway into the throne room.
"Is your dad always like this?" I asked Jane. She frowned at me and crossed my arms.
"Chase, take this seriously! My father just said you're surrounded!" She snapped. I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Why are you acting like you're not part of this?" I asked.
"Because I'm not, my father gave you this challenge not me or Iris." Jane said smugly.
While the two of us were talking, two guards jumped out from the shadows with wooden swords in hand and rushed towards me. I spun on my heel when they got close and grabbed Jane by her waist and moved her in front of me, then pushed her towards the guards. They both nearly fell over themselves, trying to stop themselves and not crash into Jane. They ended up catching her, which gave me enough time to channel mana into my void pocket ring and draw my mana-lock.
I channele shock attribute mana into it, then fired two bullets at the two guards, hitting them square in the chest and dropping them effortlessly. Of course, I fired after they let go of Jane, so she wasn't hit by friendly fire.
"STAR CHILD!" Iris bellowed then slapped me so hard on the back of my head that I saw stars. "How dare you! You threw Lady Jane into them!"
"OW! FUCK TRI-CLOPS THAT HURT!" I screamed and rubbed my head. "Geez it's not like they were actually going to hurt her. Do you want to be the guard that hit the princess?!"
"Not the point!!!" She screamed and slapped me again.
"Very enlightening that you allowed him to get that close to your ward in the first place daughter, seems you need a little Re-education…" Jurirai said.
"Then she shall join Chase in this challenge." Turak'Kahn said and snapped his fingers.
The remaining seventeen guards all junped out of their hiding spots and moved to action. Most turned their attention to Iris and I, casting offensive spell sigils or dashing towards us with wooden weapons drawn. The remaining ones rushed towards Jane, probably hoping to carry her out of the line of fire.
"Fours, take care of the casters! Bone-lasher, melee is yours!" I ordered as I summoned my evos and flung their crystalline structures into the air.
Fours immediately burst from his and took to the sky, dashing towards the closest guard he grabbed with his talons and flew off towards the other side of the arena and threw him into another guard that was approaching Jane. Bone-lasher emerged from his crystal and charged the guards heading for Iris and I. He skidded to a stop just before he reached the guards and slapped them out of the way with his tail.
"Tri-clops!" I yelled as I opened my void pocket again. Iris reached inside and drew her mana-lock then turned and aimed at the closest guard casting a spell and fired. A electric bullet struck him center mass and knocked him off his feet as lightning arched into the guards near him, interrupting their casting.
"I'll cover you!" Iris replied then started casting a utility spells sigil. She quickly faded from visibility as the invisibility spell took affect.
I rushed towards the Pharaoh, dodging around a couple guards that were either sent flying because of Bone-lasher and Fours or trying to stop me from reaching the Pharaoh. The ones that got too close to me were quickly sniped by an invisible Iris.
The Pharaoh smirked as I approached and started casting a axiom spell sigil. I frowned as I read the runes, there were some that were too complex for me to understand, for now, but the ones I could read it created a blade of sorts similar to my shadra blade spells.
A blade of pure golden energy began to form in the Pharaoh's hand and took the shape of a giant khopesh. Turak'Kahn stood at the ready with the blade of the weapon close to him.
"You didn't think I'd just let you win did you?" Turak'Kahn asked as he swung the blade. I channeled volt attribute mana into my legs and jumped back, just barely dodging the blade.
"No, I hoped not! That wouldn't be fun!" I exclaimed aimed the mana-lock at the Pharaoh and fired. The Pharaoh's blade shimmed as a dome of pure golden energy enveloped the Pharaoh and blocked my bullet. "Oh come on!"
Turak'Kahn smirked then rushed me. I popped my claws then channeled void attribute mana into them and blocked his incoming slash with them. The moment my void infused claws came into contact with the blade a loud boom reverberated throughout the coliseum and knocked both of us back. I landed flat on my ass and tumbled back several more feet before I came to a stop.
"OW! FUCK!" I exclaimed as I pushed myself to my feet. The Pharaoh was already up and caring a offensive spell sigil.
The earth in front of him shattered and reformed into seven metal spikes that launched at me. I channeled volt attribute mana and ran parallel to him as I dodged his attacks, even with my enhanced speed I just barely dodged all of them.
"Impressive! But can you keep this up?!" Turak'Kahn asked and cast that offensive spell sigil again.
"Jane I might kill your dad!" I called to her as I jumped into the air an channeled float and gravity mana.
I flew straigh towards the ceiling, dodging spikes as I flew then flipped in mid-air and kicked off the ceiling and flying evasively as I channeled mana into my Draco Lance enchanted ring.
"What? No! Bad Chase!" Jane snapped as the Draco Lance settled onto my arm.
"I'm not a dog!" I yelled as three more metal spikes flew by my head.
"Then cancel that spell!" Jane snapped.
"Oh come on! He'll be fine! He has a magic shield!" I exclaimed back.
"Since you and my daughter can have a conversation while fighting me I'm obviously not pushing you hard enough!" Turak'Kahn exclaimed. He started casting a defensive spell and I took it as a chance to attack. I aimed the Draco Lance and was about to fire when a shell of sphere of water started to form around me.
Before I could react I was caught. The water extinguished the flames of the Draco Lance and undid the spell. I gasped and took in mouth fulls of water. A bullet struck the outside of the sphere and exploded. Ice creeped around the sphere until it was completely covered then shattered.
"Thanks Iris!" I exclaimed, still channeling float and gravity mana.
"AHHH!" Iris screamed. I looked down and saw her shimmer back into visibility. Her father had her in a choke hold and forced her to drop her gun.
"Yes Iris, thanks!" Jurirai said with a chuckle.
"IRIS!" I roared. Iris jerked her head back and head butted her father to loosen his grip then flipped him over her shoulder. He managed to spin himself in mid-air so he landed on his feet.
"I'm fine! Focus on his majesty!" Iris ordered then grabbed a wooden sword that had been lying near her.
"Great advice!" Turak'Kahn said, sounding right behind me. I spun around in time to see Turak'Kahn flying towards me with his golden blade in hand and already in the motion for a strike.
"BOSS!" Bone-lasher bellowed as a streak of lightning bounce off a nearby wall and snatched me before the Pharaoh's attack could connect.
Bone-lasher landed on the ground with me secured tightly in his jaws. He growled protectively at the Pharaoh then dropped me on the ground.
"Nice save Bone." I said then jumped to my feet.
"Chase!" Iris screamed. I looked up and saw her sailing though the air. I channeled volt and blast attribute mana and ran to catch her, moving so fast I created a sonic boom. I caught her and skidded to a stop.
"We need to change tactics." Iris said. I set her down then glanced back and forth between Jane and iris' dads.
"We need to stop holding back." I said.
"Understood!" Iris exclaimed then ran at her father. She channeled mana into one of her enchanted rings and started casting a utility spell sigil. Six projections of Iris suddenly formed around her. She skidded to a stop and jumped in a random pattern, her clones copying the movements. Pretty soon it was impossible to tell which Iris was the real one.
I looked to the Pharaoh who'd landed gracefully in the center of the arena. All of the others guards had been knocked out by Fours and Bone-lasher, leaving just Turak'Kahn and Jurirai.
"Bone! Fours! Keep him busy!" I exclaimed as I activated my void pocket.
Bone-lasher wrapped his body in lightning then charged the Pharaoh. That golden shield surrounded The Pharaoh again and blocked Bone-lasher's attack. The liger shark bounced off the shield and landed on his feet. Fours joined in the attack and nosedived, attacking the top of the shield.
I quickly grabbed one of the rifles that I had stowed in there and then bit my finger and started writing runes all over the stock in blood. My makeshift spell finished, I aimed the rifle off center of the Pharaoh and channeled mana into the rifle. The runes glowed with an purple light before a offensive spell sigil formed in front of the barrel of the rifle.
'This is going to hurt!' I thought to myself.
[Bone! Four! Break off!]
Bone-lasher and Fours broke off their attacks and jumped away from the Pharaoh the instant before I pulled the trigger. A loud sonic boom reverberated from the muzzle of the rifle as I was knocked back. The bullet crashed into the Pharaoh's shield and another sonic boom resounded as the effects of the spell I casted activated. The shield shattered much to the Pharaoh's surprise.
The second my feet touched the ground I channeled volt and blast attribute mana and rocketed myself at the Pharaoh, creating another sonic boom. He didn't have enough time to react as I tackled him to the ground.
The inertia I gained using both blast and volt attribute made us roll and tumble for a few yards until we crashed into a wall.
"You're Majesty!" One of the guards yelled, he'd just regained consciousness. That set off a chain reaction of guards yelling 'your majesty'
"Ow!" I groaned and sat up. I looked over at the Pharaoh and he was lying flat on his back, his shaking as if he was seething.
'Is he seriously upset about losing?' I thought. A second later Turak'Kahn threw his head back and let out a loud gut busting laugh. Everyone froze at the sound, save Jurirai, who joined in.
"That was the most fun I've had in ages!" He cackled and slapped himself on the chest. He put his knees to his chest then jumped from a prone position to his feet then walked over to me and extended a hand. "My daughter exaggerated nothing I see…"